BARNSTABLE, Mass. — Slain fashion writer Christa Worthington had the DNA of at least three men under her fingernails when she was found murdered, a crime laboratory analyst testified Friday afternoon.

The DNA examiner told jurors at the trial of the garbage collector accused in her fatal stabbing that one of genetic profiles was consistent with the DNA of the defendant, Christopher McCowen, but said she could not determine the precise number of other male profiles under the nails of the victim's right hand, nor their identities.

The analyst, Christine Lemire, of the state police laboratory, said she had ruled out Jeremy Frazier, the friend McCowen told police was the killer.

Asked by a defense lawyer whether she had tested the samples against other suspects, including several of the victim's former lovers, Lemire said she had samples from those men, but investigators had not requested the tests.

The presence of additional DNA profiles on the victim's body would appear to benefit McCowen, whose defense claims that he had consensual sex with the 46-year-old writer near the time of her death, but that she was killed later by someone else.

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When she was found stabbed to death on the floor of her Cape Cod cottage Jan. 6, 2002, she had defensive wounds on her hands suggesting a struggle with an assailant.

Lemire told jurors that in addition to the male DNA, she also found DNA matching Worthington and her toddler daughter, Ava, who was found clinging to her mother's lifeless body.

The prosecutor, assistant district attorney Robert Welsh III, attempted to suggest in questions to Lemire that the DNA, which the witness described as a "a very trace amount," may have become trapped under her nails during routine daily contact with other people, such as shaking hands or making change.

McCowen's attorney, Robert George, objected, saying how the DNA came to be under the nails was not covered by the witness's training. After a brief discussion with the judge outside the jury's presence, the prosecutor withdrew the question.

Lemire's other testimony conclusively linked McCowen to the crime scene. She said saliva from the victim's breast matched the 33-year-old's genetic profile, a DNA profile so rare that it occurs once in 198 trillion times in the African-American population.

DNA consistent with that profile was also found in Worthington's genitals.

The prosecutor asked Lemire if the DNA would have remained on Worthington's breast after a shower.

"No, I wouldn't expect DNA to persist on the body," she said.

After protests from the defense, the judge, Justice Gary Nickerson, reminded the jury that they "have no evidence as to when the deceased last showered."

Lemire is to continue her testimony Monday.

McCowen faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of Worthington's murder. He is also charged with aggravated rape and armed burglary.

Also Friday afternoon, the judge said he would not pursue contempt proceedings against the CBS program "48 Hours" for accidentally shooting jury members as they exited court Wednesday afternoon.

He said the network had promised to make "appropriate staff changes."